1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a device for aiding a player playing the card game of blackjack.
2. Background of the Related Art
In the game of blackjack (or 21) a player receives two cards and is required to decide almost instantly whether to:
HIT and receive an addition card;
STAND and rely on the cards that he was dealt;
SPLIT the pair and play each card as a separate hand (if the player was dealt a pair); or,
DOUBLE his bet before receiving an additional card (also known as Doubling Down).
To decide whether to HIT, STAND, SPLIT or DOUBLE, many players rely on luck or intuition, others, including the more sophisticated players, learn a complex strategy for playing blackjack which they memorize. Blackjack strategy is readily available in many publications, for example Scarne's Complete Guide to Gambling by John Scarne, Simon & Schuster (1961). This strategy, however, is difficult for the occasional blackjack player to remember and use against a professional blackjack dealer in an actual casino game situation.
In many casinos, including those in Atlantic City, N.J., players are permitted to use a chart which summarizes the blackjack strategy. However, the time it takes most players to look up the proper decision on the chart is usually long enough to bring the game to a standstill. Accordingly, the state agencies regulating the rules of casino gambling, including the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, permit the dealer to eject a player for unduly delaying the game.
Crimar Games, Inc. has marketed a device (hereinafter "the Crimar device") made from two concentric circular disks joined at their centers. The Crimar device serves the same purpose as a chart, but the manufacturer claims it is easier to use. The device can be used with one hand, however, there are over 40 possible positions to which the disks of the Crimar device may be rotated and the position of the disk must be changed each time the player is dealt an additional card. These manipulations are difficult in actual game situations, for example, a player may have to rotate the disk several times during one blackjack hand and in one manipulation the player may have to move the disk 180 degrees using only one hand. Therefore, use of the Crimar device may unduly delay the game, and might not permit the player to enjoy the game by constantly requiring the player to manipulate the disk each time the player is dealt an additional card.
Another device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,340 entitled BLACKJACK TEACHING DEVICE issued to Tammone on Dec. 9, 1975 (hereinafter "the Tammone device") is easier to manipulate. However, the device is primarily directed towards teaching strategy to a blackjack player and is not practical for use during an actual game of blackjack. The Tammone device requires the user to make several mental calculations and decisions after reading the displayed data. The calculations and decisions are not difficult to make if a player is learning the game at home. However, decisions, such as whether the player has a "regular" or "soft" hand, whether the hand falls into one of two categories for which the player should STAND or DOUBLE DOWN and whether the player's hand falls within the category of pairs which should be SPLIT, are next to impossible to make in a pressure packed casino gambling situation. The pause required to make these decisions would unduly delay the game and the dealer would be justified in ejecting the player from the table.
Another type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,073 entitled BLACKJACK PLAY DIRECTOR issued to Miller on Oct. 4, 1977 (hereinafter "the Miller device"). The Miller device does not require a player to make mental manipulations or decisions and provides an easy to read display. However, the Miller device is an electronic calculator-like mechanism which would probably not be allowed at the blackjack tables of most casinos.
The related art also includes several patents for devices which electronically or electro-mechanically simulate the game of blackjack. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,962,800, 3,689,071 and 3,796,433, however, these devices are not intended nor can they be used during an actual game of blackjack. Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,770 issued to Yeager for a BLACKJACK 21 COMPUTER ("the Yeager device.infin.). This device allows the player to keep track of a running count of cards which were dealt, rather than providing the player with the correct decision during a particular blackjack hand.
Accordingly, none of the related art discloses a device which can be held in one of the player's hands and easily manipulated to provide the player with the proper decision quickly enough to be practical for use in the fast paced blackjack games which are played in gambling casinos. Also, none of the related art discloses a device which would quickly and easily perform these functions and still be allowed by the casinos, and their respective state gaming control commissions, to be used at their blackjack tables.